There is now quite a bit of research into the neuroscience of meditation, showing that meditation improves self-awareness, emotional regulation, self-control, and much more. If we’re honest with ourselves, most people develop some coping habits when they feel stressed or depressed. Think about food, alcohol, doomsday scrolling, entertainment, shopping, and even overworking or overexercising. Most adults have never received formal education on how to deal with negative emotions.
Addiction is not just about drug use. Trying to avoid emotions. It’s about trying to escape. Even though we know it’s not good for us, we do it anyway because we don’t like our current state: pain, sadness, loss, shame, etc.
Why? Because the urge to act in the moment is stronger than your awareness. You’re in a short-term mindset because the primitive parts of your brain are hijacking your ability to discern and recognize the bigger picture of what’s good for you. You’re hyper-focused on getting free from whatever it is you’re experiencing, and you have the urge to change it.
This hijacking occurs because the parts of the brain responsible for decision-making and self-control, such as the prefrontal cortex, often don’t function properly in the heat of the moment. This allows older brain regions that we share with our evolutionary ancestors (such as rodents) to dominate the mind. These areas, such as the amygdala, quickly send out quick signals about potential threats and rewards. They’re important for our immediate survival, but without our prefrontal cortex, which gives us a big picture idea of what’s good for us in the long run, we can end up making poor decisions. .
Research shows that meditation strengthens neural pathways for self-awareness. You will expand your ability to recognize and control your emotions without falling prey to compulsive behaviors. Meditation develops self-awareness, which allows you to gain perspective and thereby naturally develop self-control.
